The Southeast District RCMP is investigating an incident in which a driver attempted to elude police and stole a vehicle on Wednesday.

Police say driver took off in pick-up truck after accident along highway near Aulac

AULAC, N.B. - A man who allegedly stole a pick-up truck and attempted to elude police today along the highway between Sackville and Aulac has been located and arrested.

Sgt. Paul Gagne of the Sackville RCMP said Nova Scotia RCMP took the male driver into custody in the East Hants area this afternoon, about four hours after he fled from police near the Aulac exit.

Gagne said the incident occurred at around 11:45 this morning, when a member of the local highway patrol pulled the male driver over for speeding near Sackville at the Walker Road exit. The police officer had been talking to the driver, who was driving a white volkswagen Jetta, but when he turned his back, the driver took off, heading eastbound.

Gagne said although the police officer did pursue the vehicle for a short distance, once he noticed the driver was going at “great speed”, he didn’t continue the chase.

Shortly after, however, the driver was involved in an accident near Aulac, at around mile marker 511, where he struck the side of a pick-up truck and then collided with a guardrail, said Gagne.

He said the driver of the pick-up pulled over and was getting out of the vehicle when, as the same police car that had been following earlier began to approach the accident, the driver of the Volkswagen, which was badly damaged, “bolted towards the pick-up truck and took off.”

Gagne said Nova Scotia RCMP were quickly put on alert about the suspect heading their way and he was arrested a few hours later.

RCMP are continuing to investigate and charges will likely be pending, said Gagne. He clarified that there were no shots fired throughout the incident, as had been reported on social media.